Medicine Crunch to Hit Patients

LUCKNOW: Those suffering from depression, heart problems and asthma may soon face a shortage of medicines.

The chemist and druggist federation of Uttar Pradesh (CDFUP) has decided to stop the sale and purchase of such medicines, called psychotropic drugs, in protest against the Central government order directing them to streamline their business records.

The range of medicines that fall under psychotropic drugs include pain-killers, anti-depressants and sedatives. Anti-depressants like alprazolam and diazepam; analgesics like nitrazepam, epilepsy medicines like phenobarbitone contain psychotropic substances.

The sale and purchase of these medicines is governed by the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The act prescribes for the mandatory registration of all medicine manufacturers and dealers who deal in drugs containing narcotic and psychotropic substances.

The association wants simplification of the process and exemption of these medicines from the NDPS Act.

“The process to maintain a detailed account all such medicines sold is very cumbersome.

This is a bid to harass the retailers in UP,” said Suresh Gupta, general secretary, CDFUP on Thursday.

It may be noted that three years ago the Central government had done away this registration. However, during the no-registration regime, the government found it difficult to keep a tab on the quantity of psychotropic substances manufactured and consumed in the country.

Gupta informed that retailers from all over the state would gather to stage a protest outside Vidhan Sabha on March 17.

“If the state and Central governments continue to remain apathetic towards our problems we will stop the sale and purchase of these medicines,” said patron of the association, Giriraj Rastogi.

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